North Korea "is significantly benefiting from receiving Russian military equipment, technology, and experience, rendering it more capable of waging war against its neighbors," the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N. said on Jan. 8.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his evening address that Ukraine "continues to maintain a buffer zone on Russian territory, actively destroying Russian military potential there."
Key developments on Jan. 6: * Ukraine strikes 3 Russian air defense systems in single day, Navy claims * 3,800 North Korean troops killed or injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says * Ukraine's position in Kursk Oblast important for possible negotiations, Blinken says * Zelensky offered to buy weapons from incoming Trump
A total of 3,800 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman on Jan. 5.
Key developments on Jan. 4 - 5: * Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast, mixed reports surface on outcome * Russia launches over 300 drones, 20 missiles at Ukraine in first 3 days of new year, Zelensky says * Russian soldiers near Toretsk disguise as civilians to bypass Ukrainian positions, military
"In battles yesterday and today near a single village, Makhnovka, in Kursk region, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Jan. 4.
The Russian army has lost over 38,000 troops and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment since the beginning of Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 1.
"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said on Dec. 27.
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged China to use its influence over North Korea to prevent the deployment of North Korean soldiers to the frontline, during his evening address on Dec. 27.
The confirmation followed a report from Ukraine's military-focused news outlet Militarnyi on Dec. 26, which first revealed the capture without specifying the date of the incident.
Key developments on Dec. 26: * Ukraine hits ballistic missile propellant plant in Rostov Oblast, Stratcom reports * North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast endure heavy losses, logistical struggles, Ukrainian military intelligence says * 18 Russian soldiers allegedly killed in Ukraine's Dec. 25 attack in Kursk Oblast, military says * 'Increase in enemy activity'
North Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast continue to suffer significant losses, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on Dec. 26.
Editor's note: We asked members of the Kyiv Independent community to share the questions they have about the war. Here's what they asked and how we answered. Join our community to ask a question in the next round. Our community funds our journalism. Question: I know it's a big question,
Key developments on Dec. 23: * Over 3,000 North Korean troops killed, wounded in Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says * Satellite imagery suggests North Korea to supply more arms to Russia, WSJ reports * 'Mysterious' fire engulfs Russian Shahed warehouse, Ukrainian intelligence claims * First Ukrainian Legion unit trained in Poland deployed to Ukraine,
While some Western officials initially viewed the arrival of North Korean soldiers in Russia as evidence of the Kremlin’s desperation, U.S. agencies now reportedly believe the idea was North Korea’s initiative, quickly embraced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This estimation, coming from Ukraine's intelligence, is a significant increase from other recent reports about the North Korean casualties.
North Korea appears to be preparing to supply more arms to Russia on top of some 20,000 containers it had already sent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 23 based on its analysis of satellite images.
North Korea is preparing to deploy additional troops and weapons, including kamikaze drones, to aid Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine, the South Korean military said on Dec. 23.
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces reported on Dec. 19 that they had killed 12 North Korean soldiers and injured 20 others, preventing their advance in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
North Korean troops fighting in Kursk Oblast are especially vulnerable to drones but still managed to help Moscow advance a few kilometers in the partially Ukrainian-occupied region in southwest Russia, according to Western military experts analyzing open-source data. The assessment of drone vulnerability differs from an on-the-ground testimony obtained by
At least 100 North Korean troops have been killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said after an intelligence briefing, the BBC reported on Dec. 19.
Jonah Leff said that the researchers from his group examined remnants of four North Korean missiles recovered in Ukraine in July and August. One of them had marks showing it was procured in 2024, according to the researcher.
Key developments on Dec. 18: * 'Couple hundred' North Korean troops lost fighting for Russia against Ukraine, AP reports * Sweden 'does not exclude' more direct physical presence in Ukraine to bolster defense * Russia detains two suspects over assassination of General Igor Kirillov, Kremlin media reports * Peace talks with Russia only possible
In the call, a nurse at a Moscow hospital tells her husband, a soldier fighting in Kursk Oblast, that wounded fighters are being brought in by the trainload.
A senior U.S. military official did not give an exact figure but said the high casualty rate was in part due to the soldiers' lack of battle experience.
Key developments on Dec. 17: * Ukraine's SBU assassinates Russian general charged with chemical weapons crimes, source claims * Ukraine's Special Forces claim to kill 50 North Korean soldiers in 3 days * Russia heavily attacking in Kursk Oblast for 3rd day, 'actively' using North Korean troops, Syrskyi says * Zelensky rejects Orban's mediation,
"For the third day, Russian forces have been conducting intensive offensive operations in Kursk Oblast, actively using North Korean units," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces killed 50 North Korean soldiers and injured 47 others in three days of fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the unit said on Dec. 17.
South Korea imposed sanctions on 11 individuals and 15 entities "engaged in illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Dec. 17.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller warned that if North Korean troops crossed the border into Ukraine to fight for Russia, that would mark a serious "escalation" in the war.
"Russia is not only involving North Korean soldiers in assaults on Ukrainian positions, but is also trying to hide the losses of these people," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 16.
The EU imposed fully fledged sanctions on Dec. 16, including asset freezes and visa bans, on Chinese firms for supplying Russia's military for the war against Ukraine.
(Updated: )
